Issue 05-customer_news_jun2006

On 1 June 2006 a newnumber was launchedby Stockport Homesfor all customers toreport any incidents ofanti-social behaviour.You can now telephone08456 444 309 from8am - 10pm, 7 days aweek, to report anyform of anti-socialbehaviour such as:

Certain kinds of criminal behaviourViolence or threats of violenceGraffiti and vandalismDamaging or threatening to damage another person’s possessions or propertyDomestic violence/abuseNuisance from petsand animalsNoiseDumping rubbish and misuse of communal areas

Dangerous use of fireworks and fire settingAny breaches of tenancy conditionsDisputes between neighboursHarassment which includes:

intimidationabusive or insulting words or behaviourphysical abuseacts or words which interfere with the peace of another person

When you phone thenew hotline, theoperator will take thedetails from you andthen all the informationyou provide will begiven to your DistrictHousing Office. Theywill respond to youwithin two workingdays. However, if yourcall is of a seriousnature for example ifsomeone’s life is in

danger please dial 999.Anti-social behaviourManager MichelleMackey said “We are delighted toannounce that ourcustomers can nowuse one number toreport any incidents ofanti-social behaviour.As a responsiblelandlord, StockportHomes is committed to

taking positive action,in conjunction with ourpartners, to deal withall forms of anti-socialbehaviour.”

Please note the costof phoning the Anti-social behaviournumber is only thecost of a local phonecall – approximately4p per minute.

NEWS and viewsIssue 5: Summer 2006

Get gardening!Gardening competitionlaunched

Have your say onadditional non-paymentweeks for your rent

Win a hamperof goodies

Page 23Page 12 Page 18

Anti-social behaviourhotline launched

Find out more on page 21!

NEW ASB HOTLINE: 08456 444 309

Where’s themystery location?Where’s themystery location?

SUMMER NEWSLETTER 6/15/06 4:14 PM Page 1

I haverecentlyattended thestaffconferenceand aStockportHomesBoard meeting. The lead inspector from theAudit Commission attendedboth of these events.Following these events, noone involved in the day to dayrunning of Stockport Homesneeds reminding that thecrucial formal inspectionprocess is upon us. I am conscious of thetremendous effort staff andthe Board have put into thelead up to this time, ensuringinspectors will find thatStockport Homes is totallyfocused on achieving at leasta two star status.I am aware that tenants andresidents may see thisprocess as very remote fromthe reality of seeing reallasting improvements to theirhomes. However, from the feedbackreceived to date I am awarethey have recognised thatthere have been, and continueto be, real improvements inservice delivery and a desireto put customers first in all wedo.I am confident that we willsoon be able to celebrateachieving the two star statusto enable us to deliver all ourpromises, and to move on tobecome a three star excellentorganisation in the nearfuture.With fingers crossed!

3NEWS and views: Summer 2006www.stockporthomes.org

2NEWS and views: Summer 2006 www.stockporthomes.org

It is now even easier to find ahome through StockportHomes’ Homechoice scheme. On 10 May Homechoicelaunched a new choice-basedlettings website atwww.stockporthomes.org/homechoiceHome hunters can search forproperties by property type,area and number of bedrooms.Individual property sheets showphotos of properties (whereavailable) and further detailssuch as the type of heating, ifthe property has Carecallfacilities or a Sheltered SchemeManager (warden).When you find a property youare interested in, you simplyenter your application referencenumber, surname and date ofbirth. It is as easy at that!The Homechoice website alsoenables you to:

register with Homechoice by completing an interactive application formview the mutual exchanges advertview lettings statisticsdownload Homechoice literature and newsletters

If you’re not sure how to find aproperty through Homechoice,see the ‘How it works’ sectionwhich provides a five stepguide to finding a home. You can let us have your viewson the website by clicking on‘What do you think about us?’and completing the on-lineform. We welcome anycomments that will help us tofurther improve the website.You can [email protected] or click on‘Contact Us’ on the website.

A new house…with a click of a mouse

www.stockporthomes.org/homechoice

Stockport Homes is workingtowards an Audit CommissionHousing Inspection on 12June 2006. This is the firstinspection of Stockport Homesas an Arm’s LengthManagement Organisation anda successful outcome iscrucial to improving yourhomes. The Audit CommissionHousing Inspectorate is anindependent body whichinspects Housing Services tomake sure that they are ofgood quality, offer value formoney and show evidence ofimproving. The Inspectors arecoming to Stockport Homes on12 June 2006 and will be herefor a period of two weeks. Theareas that they will look at are:

Access and CustomerCare/DiversityCustomer InvolvementAllocations and LettingsAnti-social behaviourCaretaking & conciergeHousing Options and HomelessnessLeaseholders and Right To BuyRepairs and MaintenanceTenancy and Estate ManagementRentsResettlement ServicesValue For MoneyOlder Person’s Services

To find out how the servicesare delivered the inspectorsmay get the information in thefollowing ways:

Contact individualcustomersAsk to come to your TenantGroup Meeting, or they mayattend a Customer ActionGroup;

12 June Board MeetingTo see how well the Boardmanages Stockport Homes.

As part of the Inspectionprocess, Stockport Homes hasalready submitted thefollowing to the Inspectors:

Self Assessment – adocument that explains thewhole of the Housing Serviceincluding its strengths andareas for improvement;Key documents – a menu ofdocuments the Inspectorshave asked for. In order to verify theinformation that has beenprovided, the inspectors will:

Talk to tenantsInterview key managers and officers;Carry out ‘Mystery Shopping’ whereby the inspectors will pose as customers of Stockport Homes and experience the quality of service theyreceive.

The inspectors will consider alltheir information, especiallyfeedback from you ourcustomers, and this will helpto inform how they will judgeus. The result will be published foreveryone to see with a ‘star’rating from zero to three starsbased on existing services. Stockport Homes mustachieve the Decent HomesStandard by 2010. To ensurethis happens, we must score aminimum of a two star rating.This will unlock the £40millionthat the Government hasallocated to us forimprovements to your homesover the next two years andan additional £60m by 2010. Asummary report of theinspection will be availableafter it has been published.

Looking forward

STAR RATING

No stars:POOR

One star:FAIR

Two stars:GOOD

Three stars:EXCELLENT

Inspection 2006Roger Phillips: Chair ofStockport Homes Board




Customers gave a vote ofconfidence to Stockport Homesat their conference on 4 April.The programme was designedto be informal, interactive andfun. Bernard Bradbury, ViceChair of the Board and Chair ofStockport Tenants’ Federation,officially welcomed everyone,and Helen McHale, ChiefExecutive, said a few wordsabout the progress made byStockport Homes so far.Customers were then asked tomark an ‘X’ on a Road toExcellence diagram to illustratewhere they think theorganisation has reached its aimto achieve at least two Stars.Then the fun started!Directors and Senior Managerstook their places at the tablesfor some Speed Dating,otherwise called ‘Meet theManagers’. Spendingapproximately 5 minutes at eachtable to introduce themselvesand outline what they do. After the coffee break,customers became the ‘decisionmakers’ by playing the ‘PrioritiesBoard Game’. It was interestingto see how the people whodidn’t know each otherpreviously all worked togetheras a team to spend animaginary £100,000 on a rangeof ‘priority services’. Each ‘team’was also asked to choose aname. Assisted, but notinfluenced, by the managers,they moved the money aroundthe board for half an hour beforefinally deciding where it shouldgo. Ironically, only the Director ofFinance used a calculator tomake sure that his team’s board

added up to £100,000! With 12teams in the game, there was atotal of £1.2m in the collectivepot.The conference decided that‘Improvements to Homes’ wasthe top priority allocating thesum of £330,000.‘Environmental Improvements’came second on £150k and‘Security Cameras/Concierge’third on £140k, closely followedby ‘Estate Appearance’ on£135k and Nuisance & AntiSocial Behaviour on £130k. ‘Activities for Young People’,‘Community & Youth Facilities’and an ‘Increase in Front LineStaff’ got little support with £85k,£75k and £60k respectively.Other suggestions included‘Security’ (£15k), ‘Good QualityAerial Systems’ (£10k),‘Replacement Windows’ (£10k),‘New Lifts and CommunalServices in two different areas(£15k total), ‘CommunityInvolvement’ (£5k) and ‘Trainingfor Staff to Feedback More toCustomers’ £5k.The conference was the firstevent of Stockport Homes’promotional week and it wasfitting that the new website wentlive at 12.30 p.m. with a livedemonstration for theconference. For those who haveaccess to the internet and email,the web site offers a number ofnew opportunities for customersto be involved, report repairs,and keep in touch with what’shappening in the organisation.Visit www.stockporthomes.orgfor more information.Lunch was followed byconsultation about a new

Customer Awards scheme. TheCouncil, with the StockportExpress, has launched its GoodNeighbour scheme butStockport Homes wants to focuson the contribution made byindividuals and residents’ groupsin improving their estates. Thecategories that gained the mostsupport were as follows:

Individual customers nominated by officers for high levels of involvementIndividual customers nominated by officers for mentoring or support givento othersTenants & Residents’Groups nominated by officers for involvement inimproving their estate/ neighbourhood

The type of reward favouredwas a gift voucher to a value of£50 for each category.These ideas will be taken to theCustomer InvolvementCustomer Action Group (CAG)for discussion.

The managers then gave somefeedback about the key pointsand messages gained from theday.Throughout the day, customersalso completed Compliments,Comments and Complaintsforms. If you had a question ora complaint, and you gave yourcontact details, you shouldhave had a response. If youhaven’t, please contact your

District Housing Office.

The road to improvement – Customer Conference 2006

turning the corner

Everyone who attended was given a raffleticket and the the lucky winner took home aluxury hamper. Customers were then asked torepeat the morning exercise of marking an ‘X’on the Road to Excellence. The differenceshowed that, after four hours of interaction withthe managers, their opinion of the organisationwas improved. From a majority 1 Star rating inthe morning, the majority changed to 2 Stars,and a few even rated it as 3 Stars. David

Kirwan then closed the conference. Evaluationforms were completed and the majority ofpeople said that they would attend anotherconference, with most wanting it to be anannual event.Helen McHale had been asked to choose thebest team name (from the Priorities BoardGame) and the winner was ‘Action’ because “itbest describes the message to come out ofthis conference, i.e. it’s not just a talking shop”.

The road to improvement, part 2!




The Resettlement Serviceprovides support to help peopleset up home, and settle into theirlocal community. The staffprovide support to ensurecustomers successfully maintaintheir tenancies. They work with:care leavers, teenage parents,young people, refugees, peoplefleeing domestic violence, ex-offenders, single homeless,homeless families, new tenants,people with learning difficulties,mental health issues, and peoplewith alcohol and drug issues.Since the Resettlement Servicewas set up in October 2002, theTeam has expanded severaltimes over!The Resettlement Team wasinitially set up with just fourOfficers but following hugedemand for the service thisincreased to 10 Officers. TheService expanded again whenthe Asylum Seeker Teambecame part of the ResettlementService in January 2005. The

Service has developed furtherfollowing the transfer of theTenancy Support Team on 3April 2006. Anne-Marie Gogarty,Resettlement Service Managersaid: “I am delighted that theTenancy Support Team hasbecome part of the ResettlementService. The officers within theteam are all committed to the

common aim of providing highquality support services tovulnerable households within theBorough. The amalgamation ofthe different teams will enable usto further develop and improvethe services we offer and enableofficers to work closely togethersharing knowledge and goodpractice to the benefit of ourservice-users.”

70 referrals for the Resettlement Service were received

2151 hours of direct support were provided to 116 households

At the end of the March:

76 still receive the service

18 completed a package of support and are successfully resettled

19 remain in their properties but have decided not to continue using the service

1 was moved into hospital or care

1 was evicted

1 person had the service withdrawn

The Resettlement Service has recently hostedthree discussion groups. The first group was inNovember 2005 followed by groups inFebruary and April 2006.Customers past and present were invited tothe Groups which are facilitated by membersof the Resettlement team and the CustomerInvolvement Officer. A variety of topicssurrounding Resettlement and the Serviceexperienced by the customers werediscussed. The groups were informal gatherings of oldand new customers and focused specificallyon what we can do to improve the service weoffer to our customers. Refreshments flowedfreely and a number of prize draws as a ‘thank

you’ for attendance were held. The groupshave been enjoyable and successful for thoseattending. However we want to get morecustomers attending and sharing their viewswith us.The next group will take place in July. Pleasecontact the Resettlement Team on 474 3772 ifyou would like to attend the next group.

Did youknow?

Resettlement Teamstatistics

January - March 2006

Resettlement service expands (again)!

A picture of the Resettlement Team

Problems at homeFamily breakdown is one of themajor causes of homelessnessfor young people and is alsoone of the most painful. InStockport many young peoplehave a genuine problem infinding appropriateaccommodation. Suchpressures can lead tofrustration and disputes withintheir current home. Argumentswithin the family can result inthe young person eitherrunning away or being ejectedfrom their home. An unplannedand unsupported move is oftentraumatic and costly.

Stockport MediationSchemeThe Stockport MediationScheme is designed to helpresolve problems by workingwith young people and theirfamily members involved in adispute or breakdown inrelationship.Successful interventions mayjust mean a phone call or letterto a parent where harsh wordshave been exchanged resultingin a misunderstanding. Or it may involve longer-termwork providing time and spacefor the young person or parentto explore family relationshipissues.

Returning HomeThe Stockport MediationScheme started in June 2004.Since then 344 people havebeen referred for mediationwith a total of 215 returninghome. From April 2005 to April2006 the Mediation Workerworked with 216 young people,returning 130 of them to theirfamily home, working withthose who were unable toreturn home and their familiesto find suitable alternatives.Stockport Mediation Schemehas a success rate of 63% ofall referrals being successfullyreturned to their family home.

Getting helpIf you are experiencingproblems at home then theStockport Mediation Schememay be able to help.Drop in at the HousingInformation Centre to speak toa Mediation Worker, Tuesday2pm-4.30pm; Wednesday 2pm-4.30pm; Friday 10am-12noon.We can also arrange for aMediation Worker to meet youat your accommodation, at anoutside agency, such asConnexions or any othervenue.

For more information pleasecontact the Resettlement Teamon 0161 474 3772 or [email protected]

Have you been askedto leave home?

rreesseettttlleemmeenntt insight

New members wanted...




The Resettlement Serviceprovide housing relatedsupport to a wide variety ofvulnerable households to helpthem set up home, settle intotheir property and sustain theirtenancy on a long-term basis.Below is a Case Study of aservice-user that the Teamhave recently worked with.Mike* was referred to theResettlement Service by theHousing Options Team at thetime of his homeless interview.He had complex issuesincluding mental healthproblems and had lived anunsettled way of life for manyyears.He was placed in temporaryaccommodation for single menpending an offer of property inStockport. The ResettlementService became involved withMike via regular surgeries,Mike found these valuable inassuring him he would not beleft without support when anoffer of property was made.On taking up a new tenancy inStockport, Mike was signed upfor 3 hours Resettlementsupport per week. ACommunity Care Grant wasobtained to enable him tofurnish his home. Gas, electricand water accounts were setup and payment schemesagreed. With support from hisResettlement Officer, otheragencies were approachedtogether with Mike to help himtowards independence. Acommunity psychiatric nurse

(CPN) was put in place tooffer consistent help withmental health issues, debtissues were tackled viaarrangements made withcreditors and Working Linkswas approached to helpenable reintegration into work.Voluntary bodies were alsocontacted with the aim ofsecuring voluntary work andMike joined a CommunityGroup. He also found he wasable to confront his drugproblem and accessed supportwith this by mixing withdifferent groups of people andstaying away from groups whoused illegal substances. Although Mike had a spell inhospital due to a decline in his

mental health at the start ofhis tenancy, with the help ofall other agencies involved, hehas since remained out ofhospital. He remains incontact with his CPN and wasalso referred to a professionalcounselling service by hisResettlement Officer. Mike’s flat is clean, tidy andhomely and he is enjoyingliving there. He now feelssettled and is coping with hisfinances for the first time in hislife. He has also attended andcontributed to a number ofStockport Homes Consultationactivities.

*not real name

Resettlement case study

rreesseettttlleemmeenntt insight

The Resettlement Teamhas recently beenreviewed by its funders,Supporting People.During the ServiceReview, officers from theSupporting People teamassessed the serviceprovided in terms of thequality of the servicebeing provided. Theyalso considered whetherthe service is relevantand is Value for Money.The quality of the serviceis assessed in 6 keyareas, namely

Needs and Risk AssessmentsSupport PlanningSecurity, Health & SafetyProtection from AbuseFair Access, Diversity and InclusionComplaints

The assessment iscompleted in a variety ofways includingassessing policies andprocedures, examiningdocuments and casefiles, speaking to staffabout their roles andmost importantly talkingto people who use theservice. Robin Flynn, the ServiceReview Officer from theSupporting People teamcommented that, “…..theService has beenvalidated at a level B,and as such the serviceoperates at a very high

standard indeed. Policies and proceduresare clear and welldesigned, and all staffconsulted possessed athorough workingknowledge.We found the staff to behighly trained and veryknowledgeable abouttheir work as well asbeing very clear abouttheir role and theboundaries within whichthey operate. Most importantlycustomer satisfactionwas found to be veryhigh, with all ServiceUsers interviewed veryhappy with the supportthat they receive.”Anne-Marie Gogarty,Resettlement ServiceManager commented “Iam extremely pleasedthat the team hasachieved a grade Bunder the QualityAssessment Frameworkwhich demonstrates thecommitment andenthusiasm of staff andtheir continued efforts todevelop and improve theservice we offer. Theopinions of service-userson the service weprovide is of utmostimportance to us and thewhole team are delightedto receive confirmationthat service-users thinkwe are doing a good joband that they are happywith the service that isprovided.”

The ResettlementTeam Service Review Anti-social behaviour forum

Stockport Homes’ first ASB Forum was heldon Wednesday 26 April. The Forum is anon-case specific forum concentrating onthe general issue of Anti-Social Behaviourand ensuring all resources available arebeing used effectively. The Forum includescustomers, Stockport Homes’ staff and ourpartner agencies. It is essential that Stockport Homes’ policyand procedures on ASB remain relevant notonly to our customers, but to the widercommunity. Therefore, a key objective of theForum is to regularly review, monitor andchallenge our policies and procedures toensure that this is achieved. If you are interested in issues of ASB andwould like to be part of the Forum, pleasecontact the ASB Team on 0161 476 2467 oremail [email protected]

Best Value ReviewStockport Homes would like to thank all ofour customers who contributed to the BestValue Review of the Anti Social Behaviourservice through the completion of the ASBquestionnaires, and attendance at hot topicand Customer Action Group (CAG)meetings. Your comments and suggestionshave been greatly appreciated and thefollowing actions have been implemented asa direct result of the feedback we receivedfrom you:

One phone number for reporting ASB across the Borough from 8am - 10pm, 7 days a weekNamed contacts and direct telephone numbers whilst working with you on your caseRegular contact with witnesses and victimsDevelopment of a witness support packageAn increase in publicity of the work theASB team is doing

If you have any further concerns or queriesabout the Review, or would like additionalfeedback, please contact the ASB Assistant,Natalie McNulty, on 0161 476 2467 [email protected]

AASSBBnews




During May you will havereceived a new customerhandbook from StockportHomes. This is a folder whichhas a range of informationabout the services we provide.This includes contact details forother organisations, advice onhow we can help with anti-social behaviour, supporting youin your home, rent, how to getinvolved and many more things.The folders have been handdelivered by Stockport Homesstaff and left outside your frontdoor. If you have a residentcaretaker, you will havereceived a letter asking you tocollect your copy from your

caretaker. If you live in asheltered housing scheme, yourSheltered Scheme Manager(warden) will have brought youa copy.Even if you do not need theinformation now, it is a goodidea to keep it in a safe place incase you need a phone numberor some information in future. The handbook has been writtenin plain language to make iteasy to understand. If you need the information inanother format, for example inlarge print, on an audiotape orin another language, thenplease let us know bycontacting us:

In person: visit your DistrictHousing Office or the HousingInformation Centre in Stockporttown centre.By telephone: telephone yourDistrict Housing Office or theService Improvement Team on0161 474 2860By letter: write to: ServiceImprovement Team, 1st Floor,St Peters Square, StockportSK1 1NZBy email to:[email protected] text message to:07891 949 399Through the StockportInterpreter Unit on 0161 4779000

Introducing the new Stockport Homes Customer Handbook...

Customer Handbook: Gardens

Customer Handbook: Jargon buster

Customer Handbook: Housing Options

Customer Handbook: Older persons

Customer Handbook: Repairs

Customer Handbook: Your tenancy

Customer Handbook: Anti-Social Behaviour

It’s here!customer handbook

...you were not always ableto remember all the advicegiven to you at homelessinterviews...

…contractors do not alwayskeep appointments…

…repairs need to be donequickly where a tenant is inhospital waiting to returnhome…

…caretaking services donot always reach thestandards you expect…

…work done to your heatingdoes not always meet yourneeds…

Now, written advice is nowgiven after homelessinterviews.

All repairs contractors nowhave electronic diaries ormobiles and contactcustomers the day beforegoing to their property.

In cases where a customer isin hospital or care, urgentrepairs are classed as'emergency' to ensure thecustomer can return home assoon as possible.

Monthly estate inspectionsnow take place to ensureservice quality is measured.

Dodds (the heating contractor)now have a liaison officer towork with customers.

We also promised to let you know what we have done toimprove our services as a result of your comments.

You said We did

As you can see, we do take your feedback seriously!

We have already had some feedback from customers about the new handbook. Here are twocomments we recently received:

“The customer handbook is the most completepublication ever received.”

“The handbook is a great idea as you now haveall the important numbers if there’s a problem.”



Stockport Homes areorganising a gardencompetition this year.If you are a tenant, leaseholderor household member ofStockport Homes then you areeligible to take part.There are a number of differentcategories to ensure everyone

can get involved. Thecategories include:

best gardenbest communal garden (a shared garden between a number of tenants/ leaseholders)best container (so if you only have a balcony or small garden you can still take part)most improved garden (to encourage new gardenersto have a go)a children’s award (open to children aged twelve

and under). This could be a sunflower or unusual container and it must be the child’s own work.

You can enter on your ownbehalf or nominate someonewho you think deserves somerecognition for their work. Prizes for all categories will beawarded in garden centrevouchers. There will be first, second andthird prizes for all categories ineach of the three Districts andthe overall winners will beautomatically entered for thebest overall winner. The closing date for entries is30 June. So if you areinterested in taking part pleasecomplete the enclosed form

and return it to yourDistrict Housing Office.District judging willtake place in July andwe are also looking forcustomers to help withthis so if you’d like tobe part of the judging

team pleasemake a note ofthis on theenclosed entry

form and returnto your District

Team. We are also asking

customers to nominate acontractor if they feel they

have put some specialeffort into an estate or area.

We won’t be giving prizevouchers to the contractor butwill be showing our customers’appreciation by awardingcertificates.

Get gardening!Stockport Homes gardening competition 2006

www.stockporthomes.orgNEWS and views: Summer 200612

Building materials containingasbestos were widely usedfrom 1930 to around 1980. Any flats or houses built orrefurbished during this timemay contain asbestos material.

Where is asbestos found?Some common locations arelisted below but there may beothers in your home—if youare in doubt, leave well aloneand seek advice fromStockport Homes.

Asbestos cement on garage or shed roofsShed and garage wall panelsArtex ceilingsFloor tilesBath panelsInsulating boards

What should I do if Isuspect there is asbestosin my home?Leave asbestos alone; it’susually safe unless it’sdamaged or disturbed.

Do not attempt to removeasbestos from your homeDo not sand, drill or saw asbestos materialsSeek advice from Stockport Homes

Asbestos surveyIn certain cases, an asbestossurvey will need to be done inyour home to check if asbestosis present—particularly wheresome form of destructive workis due to be carried out.We may also undertake a

survey if we are carrying out aday-to-day repair which mayinvolve disturbing someasbestos based material.

If asbestos is foundthe options available to usare:

Leave alone (where asbestos material is in good condition and not disturbed)Remove itEnclose itSeal it

We will advise contractors onthe possible locations ofasbestos (where known)before starting work in yourhome.

Do’s and don’tsDON’T panic if you think you have asbestos in your home - it is usually only a problem if it’s disturbed.DO treat asbestos with respectDON’T disturb materials that you think may contain asbestosDO contact us if you thinkyou have a problem with asbestos in your home

If you have any queries aboutasbestos, please contact theRepairs’ Contact Centre, Tel:0845 6444 304. Furtherinformation is also availablefrom the Health and SafetyExecutive on the followingwebsite: www.hse.gov.uk

rreeppaaiirrss news

GAS SERVICINGPlease make sure you

provide access

Over the past year, out ofa total of over 8,872properties with gasappliances we havemanaged to service all but89 properties. To conformto legal requirements wenow need to access theseremaining properties.Letters have now beensent from our LegalDepartment to the 89properties.If you receive one ofthese letters pleasecomply with theinstructions and make anappointment for a service.The first rounds ofservicing for 2006/07 havenow started. All propertieswith gas appliances willbe receiving letters fromthe Dodd Group askingtenants to makeappointments. Pleasemake an appointment assoon as you can toensure your gasappliances are servicedon time.

Asbestos: Questions and answers NOTICE

Did you know? Calling the

repairs hotline is a low-cost call!

Tel: 0845 644 4304




We would like to improve theCaretaking Service we provideto customers.We have recently completed aBest Value Review of theCaretaking Service. This is aprocess where we havecompared ourselves with otherorganisations to see if we canlearn from best practiceelsewhere. We also consultedwith customers to get theirviews on the service, andchallenged how the servicecould be delivered differently.Finally, we considered whatservices could be delivered in amore cost effective manner bysubjecting them to competition.Stockport Homes currentlyoffers two types of Caretaking

Service. Firstly a clearlydefined Caretaking Service toblocks of flats and secondly anarea based mobile serviceproviding general caretakingduties across estates.Caretakers duties include:-

CleaningFloor MoppingLitter PickingRubbish and Graffiti removal

In October and November2005, questionnaires were sentout to all customers who benefitfrom the Caretaking Service.The results from the surveywere as follows:-

Caretaking Service to individualblocks of flats:

52% of respondents were aware of the standards fortheir block 63% of respondents felt the caretaker achieves good or very good standards. A further 11% felt standards were acceptableOnly 35% of respondents wanted the caretaker to perform any additional duties.

The majority of respondentsfelt the existing service chargefor the service to be aboutright.

Consultation results wereanalysed on a block by blockbasis. Individual requests forimprovements to existingservices in and around blocks,for example, improved lightingin lifts or to the exterior ofblocks, have been passed tothe District Housing Teams forindividual action.

Area Based Mobile CaretakingServiceRespondents were unclear onthe role of the area caretaker.Many felt that the cleaner orgrounds maintenanceoperative was in fact thecaretaker.

Extending the ExistingCaretaking Service In the March newsletter weasked customers who did notreceive this service but wouldlike to in the future to let usknow. As only three customersresponded this suggests thatcustomers are happy with theextent of the existing service.

How will we improve the serviceas a result of the review?A dedicated Manager for theCaretaking Service will beappointed with theresponsibility of ensuring thatexisting staff are well trainedand have the right equipmentand cleaning materials to do

the job. The cleaning part ofthe service which is currentlyundertaken by Stockport DirectServices will be subject tocompetition with a newcontract in place from April2007.The mobile area caretakingservice will be broughttogether to provide a moreeffective service to operateacross housing estatesfocussing on improving ourresponse to fly tipping andgraffiti removal.

Caretaking Service Standardswill be more widely advertised– please see below for moreinformation.

Entrance Foyerand Ground FloorCorridor

Lifts

Corridors

Swept and MoppedVacuumedGlass DoorsInspected andCleaned if NecessaryDoor Entry ButtonsInspected andCleaned if Necessary

Swept and MoppedWalls CleanedLift Buttons Inspectedand Cleaned ifNecessary

Walked Twice Dailyand Inspected as perCleaning Schedule

Do you benefit from the Caretaking Service?

Multi-storey Blocks Service Standards Multi-storey Blocks Service Standards

DAILY

LOCATION TASK

Stairs AndLandings

Bin Rooms

DesignatedExternalCommunal Areas,for example theFront & Rear ofthe block andgarage sites

Walked Twice Dailyand Inspected as perCleaning Schedule

Paladins exchangedwhen fullRoom Swept andMopped

Remove all litter andany Bulky Rubbish

DAILY

LOCATION TASK

Corridors

Chute Rooms

Corridors

Stairs andlandings

Swept and Buffed

Swept twice

MoppedInternal glazingcleaned

Swept and Mopped

TWICE WEEKLY

LOCATION TASK

WEEKLY

LOCATION TASK

Windows/doorhandles in lightuse areas

Emergency exitdoors

Whole block

Cleaned

Checked for ProperOperation

Security/safetyinspection conductedwith a line manageras per monitoringSheet

MONTHLY

LOCATION TASK

contd.




Handrails andlights

Corridor Walls

All floors

Internal andexternalcommunal areas

Internalcommunal areas

Cleaned

Washed Down

Stripped and re-covered

Removal of bulkyrubbish and litter.Identify repairs andreport to contactcentre as required

Dry areas to beSwept and mopped(including stairs andcorridors)Carpeted areas to bevacuumedFull inspection tointernal walls andwash as required

EVERY TWO MONTHS

LOCATION TASK

EVERY SIX MONTHS

LOCATION TASK

EVERY SIX MONTHS

LOCATION TASK

EVERY TWO WEEKS

LOCATION TASK

Low rise blocks cleanedby Area Caretakers

Binstores/cupboards

External areas

Graffiti

Vomit/excrement/urine etc

Inspection of binstores/cupboards andclean as required

External areas

Offensive and/orRacist Graffiti will beremoved within 24hours all other Graffitiwill be removed assoon as possible.

Cleared immediatelyfollowing report beingreceived

EVERY TWO WEEKS

LOCATION TASK

LOCATION TASK

Multi-storey Blocks Service Standards

Tell us what youthink about ourConcierge Service!

One of Stockport Homes’ keyobjectives is to achieve moreextensive customerinvolvement.. By consultationwe mean involving customersin looking at ideas so that theycan share their opinions withus.We have produced a plan thatdetails the consultationexercises we will be carryingout with customers over thenext year. We carry outconsultation on a number ofdifferent issues and in variousways. By looking at the plan you willbe able to see if there isanything that may interest you.The plan can be accessed onthe Stockport Homes websiteat www.stockporthomes.org(then click on customerinvolvement) or you canrequest a copy by contactingSamantha Lloyd, CustomerContact Manager, on 0161 4742861

Customer Training EventsDo you want to learn a newskill? Maybe you would justlike a little more information. Ifso, come along to one of ourFREE informal trainingsessions running throughoutthe year. We are holding sessions on awide range of topics to suit alltastes.

Some of the training sessionswe offer are:

Secretary Duties/Minute TakingProducing Community NewslettersOrganising Activities for Young PeoplePresentation SkillsEqual Opportunities, Disability & Cultural Awareness

In addition to these we arealso running InformationSessions once a month on avariety of issues. InformationSessions planned are:

Estate Improvement BudgetAnti-Social BehaviourAge Restricted PropertiesAllocations & Homeless PolicySupporting People Investment Programme &Procurement

All of these sessions are freeand are open to all StockportHomes customers. If you wish to find out moreinformation about any of thecourses we are holding, or tobook your place pleasecontact Julie Nelson on 0161474 2862 or [email protected]

Your views are important!

Getting it right...This is just a small sample of some recentcompliments that we have received, pleasekeep telling us what you think about ourservices.

A Concierge Team member was praisedabout the way they handled a sensitivesituation passed on.

A customer was very pleased with the workdone to a property. The work was donecourteously and the flat was left very clean.

One tenant has been re-housed, he wasextremely grateful and pleased with the servicethat he received.

Thank you for your feedback!

East DistrictWhen: Thursday 20 July 2006, 3.30pm and 6.30pmWhere: Hazel GroveCivic HallContact:BrianBillingham, telephone:0161 474 4212

West DistrictWhen: Tuesday 18 July 6pm – 8pmWhere: Pavilion Suite 1,Stockport CountyContact:Jane Clayton,telephone:0161 474 4224

CentralDistrictWhen: Thursday 27July at 3.30pm and6.30pmWhere: The HatworksContact: Peter Egerton,telephone:0161 474 2968

FORUMMEETING

DATES

Our customers oftentell us that feeling safeand secure in theirhome is somethingthey feel is veryimportant. The ConciergeService currentlycontributes tomaintaining safety andsecurity for over 1500Stockport Homes’customers. If youhave any ideas how

we can improve anddevelop the servicewe would welcomeyour suggestions. If you have received aquestionnaire pleasefill it in and send itback to us - You couldwin £50!You can also contactus by telephone0161 474 2852 or bytext message on07891 949399.

All blocks cleaned byCaretakers




Your annual rent is paid over50 weeks meaning youcurrently get two non-paymentweeks which are over theChristmas or the New Yearperiod. Stockport Homes isconsidering introducing furthernon-payment weeks and wewould appreciate your views.As rents for the currentfinancial year have alreadybeen fixed, any changes, ifsupported by customers, willnot be effective until the2007/2008 financial year.Non-payment weeks are notfree-weeks. Any increase inthe numbers of non-paymentweeks would have to befinanced by increasing theremaining payable weeks inthat financial year.Using a gross rent of £50, the

following calculations give youan idea what this would meanto you:

Introducing one additional non-payment week:Old weekly rent £50 X 50 =£2,500 divided by 49 = Newweekly rent £51.02

Introducing two additional non-payment weeks:Old weekly rent £50 X 50 =£2,500 divided by 48 = Newweekly rent £52.08Non-payment weeks allowcustomers who have rentarrears an opportunity toreduce their debt withouthaving to find extra money onthe weeks that they occur. Itwould allow you, (providingyou are not in arrears) to have

additional payment breaks. Bylocating additional non-payment weeks at the end ofthe financial year (March) thiswould allow Stockport Homesto deal with year-end issuese.g. amend Direct Debits/Standing Orders moreefficiently.Customers who currently paytheir rent calendar monthly,would not experience anydifference in the way that they pay – they would still pay their annual rent in 12monthly installments.Customers who receiveHousing Benefit would havethat benefit adjustedaccordingly to reflect thereduction in payable weeks.Let us know what you think inthe form below.

enter our free

Stockport Homes holds a quarterly prize draw for allcustomers who ensure that their rent account is clear.

There are three prizes for each district - £250,£100 and £50. All tenants who have a clear rentaccount on the due date are eligible.

Congratulations to the April 2006 winners who are:

CentralMrs S. McDonald Offerton £250Mr S. Cole Offerton £100Mr G. Seaton Heaton Norris £50

EastMrs E. Adie Brinnington £250Mr R. Tebay Hazel Grove £100Mr A. Barber Brinnington £50

WestMr M. Kelly Cheadle £250Mrs G. Wardle Cheadle Hulme £100 Mr G. Stanley Brinksway £50

The next prize draws will take place on the following dates:

Wednesday 5 July 2006Wednesday 4 October 2006Wednesday 3 January 2007

Make sure that your rent account is up-to-date and you couldbe one of our next lucky winners!

ffiinnaannccee news

Following consultation withcustomers and a recent BestValue Service Review of theIncome Management Service(Rents), a demand exists forthe Service to be available onSaturday mornings. This would be especiallywelcomed by our customerswho work full-time and find itdifficult to contact the teamduring the week. Because we want to provideservices in accordance withyour needs we are pleased toannounce that the CustomerFinance Team can now becontacted by telephone from9am to 12pm every Saturdaymorning on the followingtelephone numbers:

East area: Telephone (0161) 474 2677Brinnington, Marple, High Lane,Romiley, Hazel Grove,Compstall, Woodley andBredburyWest area: Telephone (0161) 474 2668Adswood, Cheadle Hulme,Shaw Heath, Davenport,Bramhall, Cheadle Heath,Cheadle, Gatley and HealdGreen.Central area: Telephone(0161) 474 2676Reddish, Heatons, LancashireHill, Offerton, Town Hall Flats,Hillgate and Spring Gardens.You can ring us to:

discuss your rent/arrears, payment methods including Direct Debit make debit or credit card payments.

Open onSaturdaysAdditional non-payment weeks

- have your say!

Please complete the following coupon andpost it back to us using the reply paidenvelope enclosed with this newsletter.

Name:Address:

Postcode:

I/we support the introduction of additionalnon-payment weeks. YES/NO* *(Delete as applicable and proceed to nextquestions ONLY if you answer ‘Yes’ to thisquestion)

I/we support the introduction of ONE/TWO*additional non payment weeks *(Delete asapplicable)

I would prefer for the additional non-payment week to be: AT THE END OF THEFINANCIAL YEAR/ OTHER**(Delete as applicable and state when if youanswer ‘other’)

Let us know what you think...

#

#




Emergency Housing

Emergency Repairs

Social Services - Out of Hours Service

Out of Hours Contact Numbers

Serviço de Emergência para Moradia

Reparos de Emergência

Serviço Social – Serviços Fora dos Horários Normais

0161 477 2626

0845 644 4304

0161 718 2118

Open all hoursWhere’s the mystery location?

We can now reveal wherethe location of last Newsand View’s mystery locationwas... It is the illuminatedsigns above the entrance toour very own Sunwindepartment store in theMersey way!

Congratulations to DianeBillington for spotting it andfor being our lucky winnerthis time! Not won this time? Well,why not have a go with thisissue’s puzzler?Good luck!

Here is this issue’s mystery locationcompetition. For you chance to win £100 inhigh street vouchers tell us where the mysterylocation is. All we ask is that you are asspecific as possible. We want to know buildingnames, street names or the exact location! Allcorrect entries received will be entered into aprize draw to win the vouchers. Deadline for

receiving entries is 31 August 2006. Thewinner will be announced in the nextnewsletter.Please email your entry [email protected] or post to:Photo Competition, Stockport Homes, 1 StPeter’s Square, Stockport, SK1 1NZ. Good luck!

During March a pilot mysteryshopping exercise was carriedout by Stockport Homes’customers. They either visitedor telephoned the HousingOffices at Adswood,Brinnington, Cheadle Heathand Reddish. They were givena range of 13 scenarios. Theexercise was designed mainlyto test customer care standardsand, in the main, they scoredExcellent or Good ratings.Our mystery shoppers agreedthey couldn’t fault the attitudeof staff and their helpfulness,both face to face and over thetelephone. Customer ServiceOfficers were able to deal withthe enquiries without having to

refer to a Housing Officer. The speed in which they dealtwith personal visits to the officewas sometimes too quick asour mystery shopperssometimes had difficulty inlooking around the receptionareas for information on theirchecklists. Telephone enquiries weresometimes more difficult toundertake without revealingtheir identities as they wereasked to give their names andaddresses more often than theyexpected. When you’re trying to act out ascenario, even on the phone,and you need to remainanonymous, the protocols for

logging information may seemover zealous, however thisinformation is needed byStockport Homes to ensure thecorrect advice can be given. Personal visits to the officestested the advertised openingtimes of the offices but sometelephone calls were made outof office hours to test themessages on the answeringmachines. This part of the exercisehighlighted someinconsistencies in thestandards of the messages.This has been rectified as aresult of this exercise.Both our mystery shoppersenjoyed taking part in thisexercise but wish to remainanonymous so that they cantake part in a future exercises!

Mystery shopping

REVEALED!

Out of office hours contact information for a range of services are listed below.



22www.stockporthomes.org

Stockport Homes isnot just committed toproviding decenthomes but also toimprove theneighbourhoods whereour customers live. Notall neighbourhoods arethe same, but manyneighbourhoods havecommon needs andissues, such asfeatures to enhancesafety and security(improved lighting orblocking rat runs). Thecreation of more offroad parking, dealingwith derelict garagesites and un-usedopen spaces. To help us improveyour localneighbourhoods eachyear £400,000 is madeavailable between thethree District Teams todeliver projects. Theseprojects can help toimprove theappearance of anestate or communalbuilding, where theremay be issues relatingto safety or security, orto address a localproblem or issue thatimproves the quality ofcustomer’s life in theneighbourhood. Allcustomers areencouraged to putforward projects, bycompleting a form withthe help of their districthousing team and

tenant involvementofficers. All the projectsare then taken to eachof the district forumsfor customers to agreewhich projects shouldhappen in their area. During last yearcustomers identified avariety of projectsacross each of thedistricts. These includedimprovements to:communal gardens,patios, front gardens,lighting, gates, carparking and internalcommunal works. As part of ourapplication to theOffice of the DeputyPrime Minister forfunding, we haveasked for additionalmoney to carry outmore projects to helpimprove your area. Upto £5.4 million will bemade available forprojects up to 2010, ifour inspection by theAudit Commission inJune is successful. You have alreadyhelped us identifywhich projects shouldtake place at theCustomer Conferencein April, through theDistrict Forums andour Estate Walkabouts.However we want allcustomers to have theopportunity tocomment.

Sustainable estates –have your say!

BEFORE

IMPROVED COMMUNAL AREAS

IMPROVED SEATING AND FENCING

AFTER

NEWS and views: Summer 2006

Win a hamper of sustainable goodies!To help us can you please put a tick against the projects you would like to see takepriority. If there are any other projects you want to be included please add to the list.

GatesFencingFacilities for children and young peopleCommunity FacilitiesPlay areas and open spacesEstate appearanceCar parkingGardensGaragesYour choice of project

The area you live in

If would like to be entered into the free prize draw to win a hamper of goodies please completethe personal information below:

Name: Telephone Number:Address:

Postcode:

Please complete this form and post it back to us using the freepost envelope included in thisnewsletter. If you require any further information please contact Jo Cole on 0161 474 2918 oremail [email protected]

The winner of the prize draw will be announced in the next newsletter.All entries must be received by 31 August 2006. #

#


25NEWS and views: Summer 2006

24NEWS and views: Summer 2006 www.stockporthomes.org www.stockporthomes.org

Customer Action GroupsDiversityWednesday June 14th

2-4pm, Stockport Town Hall, Meeting Room 6

Wednesday July 26th

2-4pm, Stockport Town Hall, Committee Room 2

Wednesday August 30th


Wednesday September 27th


Sheltered HousingWednesday July 12th

2-4pm, Pavilion Suite 1, Stockport County

Tuesday September 26th


Stock Investment and RepairsTuesday June 20th


Tuesday July 25th

6-8pm, Committee room 2, Town HallTuesday August 22nd 6-8pm, Meeting room 5, Town Hall

Tuesday September 26th

6-8pm, Meeting room 6, Town Hall

Income ManagementWednesday July 26th

6 – 8pm Conference room, Hatworks

Customer InvolvementWednesday June 21st

6-8pm, Committee room 2, Town Hall

Wednesday August 2nd


Wednesday September 6th


Tenancy & Estate ManagementThursday August 3rd

2-4pm, Conference room, Hatworks

Thursday September 28th

6-8pm, Community Room, Hatworks

Allocations & HomelessnessWednesday July 19th

2-4pm, Conference room, Hatworks

Leaseholders

Thursday August 10th

6.30-8.30pm, Meeting room 5, Town Hall

Thursday September 21st

6.30-8.30pm, Community room, Hatworks

eessttaattee walkabouts

Tamworth Green,Stockport

Rectory Green Churchgate

Victoria Park,Offerton

Offerton Estate – my roads only

Heaton Chapel

Reddish

Mottram Street

Shawcross Street

Covent Garden

Poets Corner

Harrogate Roadarea

Somers Road area

Poets Corner

Harrogate Roadarea

Somers Roadarea

Corporation Street

Lancashire Hill

LancashireHill

Tamworth Green, front of block 1

Outside 20 Rectory Green

Outside Beaver House entrance

Parish Council Office, OffertonEstate

Marbury Road Shops

Abingdon Primary School

Mottram Street

Shawcross Street

Covent Garden

Junction of Farley Way & LongfordRoad West

Priory Court

Junction of Somers Road &Lindfield Road

Junction of Farley Way & LongfordRoad West

Priory Court

Junction of Somers Road &Lindfield Road

1 Calbot Place

Lancashire Hill Housing office atStonemill Terrace

LancashireHill Housing officeStonemill Terrace

10.30am, 11 July

10.30am, 8 August

10.30am, 5 September


10.00am, 4 July

10.00am, 11 July

10.00am, 18 July

10.00am, 15 August


10.00am, 5 July

10.00am, 12 July

10.00am, 19 July




2.00pm, 15 August

10.00am, 11 August


Jackie Heapy

Jackie Heapy

Jackie Heapy

Jackie Heapy

Ian Creveul

Ian Creveul

Val Percy

Val Percy

Val Percy

Eileen Lloyd

Eileen Lloyd

Eileen Lloyd

Eileen Lloyd

Eileen Lloyd

Eileen Lloyd

Marion Rigby

Ken Higgins

Ken Higgins

July - September 2006. Central District Housing: 0161 474 4373

Estate Meeting Place Time and Date Snr HousingOfficer

CCeennttrraall

If you have difficulty getting toour offices or to meetings, wecan visit you at home. Thisservice is called "Access atHome". If you require a homevisit please contact your DistrictHousing Office or the HousingInformation Centre and we willarrange a convenient time anddate. Please see opposite forthe contact numbers. There isno charge for this service.

Housing Information Centre1 St Peter’s Square, StockportT: 0161 474 2860 E: [email protected]

Central District OfficeThe Houldsworth Centre2 Gorton Road, ReddishStockport, SK5 6AET: 0161 474 4373F: 0161 443 2394E: reddish.housing@

stockporthomes.org

East District Office1 Taunton Avenue, Brinnington,Stockport, SK5 8LPT: 0161 474 4372F: 0161 406 8377E: east.area.housing@

stockporthomes.org

West District Office12/14 Barnfield Road WestAdswoodStockportSK3 8PPT: 0161 474 4371F: 0161 483 9357E: adswood.housing@

stockporthomes.org

Meeting dates June - September 2006

Access at home




eessttaattee walkaboutsJuly - September 2006. West District Housing: 0161 474 4371

Estate Meeting Place Time and Date

Didsbury Road

HollywoodTowers &MontagueHouse

York Street

Walnut Tree

School StreetEstate

Gatley

Oak RoadEstate

Bradshall HallLane Estate

Grange Ave.Estate

Larkhill Estate

Councillor Lane

Adswood

Cale Green &HeavileyEstates

Russell Gardens

Hollywood Towers

Radnor House

Former Housing Office car park

Northgate Road

Junction of Foxland Road andAppleby Road

Oak Tree Court

Hall Meadow car park

Warwick Road flats

Wimbourne Close

York Close

Adswood Housing Office

Outside pub on Adswood Road

10.00am, 21st July

10.00am, 22nd August


10.00am, 12 July

10.00am, 19 July

10.00am, 19 July

10.00am, 26 July

10.00am, 27 July

10.00am, 9 August

10.00am, 12 July

10.00am, 20 July



Richard Smith

Richard Smith

Richard Smith

Anita Bacon

Anita Bacon

Kevin Lewis

Anita Bacon

PhillipO’Connor

Anita Bacon

PhillipO’Connor

MikeFitzsimmons

Adele Keating

Adele Keating

July - September 2006. East District Housing: 0161 474 4372

Estate Meeting Place Time and Date

Cherry TreeEstate, Romiley

Middlesex Rd,Brinnington

Bosden HallRoad

Dartford Avenue,

George Lane,Bredbury

WestmorlandDrive, Brinnington

Matley Green,Brinnington

Cherry Tree Shops

The Link Roundabout, Brinnington

Junction of Bosden Fold Road &Bosden Hall Road

Junction of Dartford Avenue &Keston Cres.

Junction with Ruskin Grove,Bredbury

Outside Westmorland School

Outside 1 Matley Green

6.00pm, 22 August

10.00am, 14 July

6.00pm, 4 July

2.00pm, 10 August

2.00pm, 29 August

2.00pm, 20 July

6.00pm7 August 2006

Dee Ellis

Nicola Payne

Cassie Ward

Rob Mitchell

April Irwin

Pam Pollitt

Melanie Selby

Announcements and notices

WWeesstt EEaasstt

Board MeetingsBoard meetings this year willtake place on these dates:

12 June24 July25 Sep6 Nov18 Dec

All board meetings start at5pm. The agendas can beviewed prior to the meeting atDistrict Housing Offices,Stockport Central Library andthe Housing InformationCentre. Minutes of previousmeetings are available on theStockport Homes website:www.stockporthomes.orgFor further information, or if youwish to attend, please contactJenni Viitanen, GovernanceManager on 0161 474 2850.

CorrectionIn the last issue of News andViews we mistakenly recordedthat the opinions stated byleaseholder Trish were in factstated by Jane Jullien. As we are proud of deliveringhigh-quality newsletters to eachof our customers every quarter,we like to make sure that wemaintain the highest standardsof quality and accuracy. We are therefore more thanhappy to address this mix-upand to have the opportunity toclarify the issue.

New arrival!On 25 April, at 8.30amProject Worker MaxineLoughlan and Senior Project

Worker Ann-Marie Iredaledelivered a baby at BrindaleHouse (the homelessfamilies scheme). This wasthe second time Maxine hasdelivered a baby. This babywas four and a half weeksearly. The baby boy weighedin at just under 5 lbs, hismother is called Christine,and the baby is a newbrother to 4 siblings. It hasbeen suggested that thebaby should be called BrynDale (a play on the wordBrindale!).Ambulance services latertook mother and baby tohospital and all are reportedto be doing well.


www.stockporthomes.org

If you would like acopy of this

newsletter in largeprint, Braille, or onaudio tape or CD,

please contactPhil Rhodes

(Diversity PolicyOfficer) on

0161 474 4566 or email

[email protected]

STOCKPORT HOMESDIVERSITY STATEMENT

Diversity and accessibility

At Stockport Homes, we believe that everyone has the right to be treated equally, with respect and to feel safe and secure in their own home and neighbourhood.Everyone has a right to make use of the opportunities offered by our organisation and to use all parts of our service. We will promote equality and diversity in the provision of our services and employment and we will not tolerate discrimination.We will make sure that no person or group applying for housing services or employment will be treated less favourably than any other person or group because of their individual characteristics. These characteristics include, but are not limited to, disability, ethnicity, colour, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and age. We will work together with all of our service providers and customers to ensure that this commitment is met across our entire organisation.

The creation of this statement is one of thecommitments made by Stockport Homes. It sets out our commitment to providing excellentservices to all our customers, regardless of theirindividual circumstances or background. It waswritten by the Diversity Customer Action Group,

then approved by Stockport Tenants’ Federationand Stockport Homes Board. If you want to any more information aboutdiversity and Stockport Homes please contactPhil Rhodes on 0161 474 4566 or e-mail him [email protected]


Documents

Issue 05-customer_news_jun2006